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Chapter 3 ~Welcome to WAM~
Alcatraz Island
Western Academy of Magic
After what seemed like an eternity having their breath squeezed from their lungs, the group landed in what appeared to be an alley behind a restaurant named Alioto's that boasted about "serving the freshest seafood, family Italian recipes, and the finest views since 1925"*. Hermione noted their general location, the restaurant's name and vowed to ask if the food was good for future reference.
As the group looked around, they spotted a middle aged man wearing an Armani suit with perfectly coiffed dark hair. "Hello pubescent persons, how are we all doing today?" he asked, surveying them all carefully.
Amongst general rumblings of, "Fine, thanks," and "Okay, I guess,"the gentleman began leading them through the streets of San Francisco towards Pier 33.
"My name is Terrence, and I will be your escort to the Western Academy of Magic this evening."
Draco, not wanting to appear too eager, had hung back from the group to try and take in his surroundings and was surprised by a shrill, "Yoo-hoo!" coming from Terrence.
"You, my tasty treat, need to stay with the group. Wouldn't want the reprobates around here to get a load of you, or they'll keep you all to themselves," he said, eyeing Draco appreciatively.
Draco, nonplussed at this obvious display of flirtation, rejoined the group, hastily putting Theo between Terrence and himself.
"Ok kiddies! Shall we make our way to my boat, the Western Fairy? That's F-A-I-R-Y, get it?" Terrence looked at them expectantly. The group of Hogwarts students looked at him blankly.
"Oh right, y'all call them poofters over there in Britain don't you? Well, that just doesn't pun well. I shouldn't have expected so much from a bunch of Brits - though I did hope someone might notice my superior sense of fashion and aesthetics," he finished, shaking his head solemnly.
Everyone groaned, and Terrence grinned widely, "You're all vaguely embarrassed, excellent! Mission accomplished. Now, all aboard!" he yelled, motioning them to board what looked to be a small, four seater boat indeed named, Western Fairy.
Once inside, they were completely amazed at what was actually a full sized ferry, complete with individual compartments that seated six.
"Undetectable extension charm?" Hermione asked Terrence.
"You bet your fine ass honey! Nothing but the best for WAM students," he gleamed, clearly pleased at her appreciation for his pride and joy.
The students made their way to the compartments. Hermione and Draco reached for the same compartment handle. Their hands touched and Hermione quickly pulled her hand back saying, "Sorry!" looking terrified.
Draco, shocked at the frisson of magic he'd felt when touching Granger of all people, recovered quickly and responded nonchalantly, "After you," while moving on to a separate compartment with Theo and Pansy.
Harry's mouth dropped open in utter shock, "What the hell did you apologize for Hermione? You did nothing wrong!"
Hermione, still gaping after the Malfoy heir who, if she wasn't mistaken, had just been polite to her for the first time in his existence, simply said, "I touched him, I thought he wouldn't like it given my blood status. He didn't say a word though?" she looked around confused.
"You're damn right he didn't say a word," hissed Harry, "what right does he have to say anything? If he had, I would have…"
"Would have what?" Ginny interrupted pointedly. "Harry, the whole point of coming to California was to leave all of that other bollocks back at home. Why continue to hold a grudge against Malfoy? He didn't say anything when she touched him, so how do we even know he holds the same prejudices? We've all changed a lot as a result of the war, maybe he has too."
Harry looked at Ginny, gobsmacked. "I can't believe you're defending him. After everything he's done, to me, to everyone. Draco Malfoy has not changed, he's just putting on the Slytherin facade that comes naturally to his kind," Harry spat.
"Careful Harry, you're starting to sound just like him with that 'his kind' shite," Ginny warned.
Neville stepped between them, putting his hand on Harry's shoulder. "Harry mate, no harm, no foul. Everyone's safe and starting a fight with Malfoy over nothing won't keep them that way. I'd like to arrive at our new home in one piece if it's all the same to you, yeah?" Neville asked calmly.
Harry walked into the compartment Hermione had started to open and sat near the window, fuming. After that, it was a fairly uneventful ride. Harry wasn't talking to anyone, Neville and Ginny started talking about the latest issue of Herbology Today that Neville had received just before leaving, and Hermione was left alone to her thoughts of Draco Malfoy, the Slytherin Prince being kind to her. She just didn't know what to make of it.
As they travelled, everyone couldn't help but stare in awe at their surroundings. The farther over the water they travelled, the bigger Alcatraz seemed. The island itself was massive, and rocks jutted out everywhere. One large building sat amongst quite a few smaller ones. There was even a lighthouse, and Hermione couldn't hold back her excitement at how much there was to learn about this place.
The boat bumped into the dock, and the group, all together now, looked up and saw what looked to be a large, aging and characterless, rectangular building.
Draco climbed onto the dock moving away for Theo to follow, accidently brushing past Hermione.
Dammit, he thought as that little, niggling sensation was there again. He must be losing his mind.
Terrence waved a flamboyant goodbye, while surreptitiously shaking hands with Draco Malfoy, money and promises trading places. During the ride, Draco had chatted up the ferry driver, trying to assess his proclivities for night time fun, and just how malleable he might be when it came to the rules. They'd quickly struck a bargain; Terrence had a taste for fine things, and Draco had the money to feed his habit. Draco looked up and had caught Hermione glaring at the exchange, seeming determined to see what exactly he was up to. He donned his best sneer, and she looked away.
They walked closer to the building directly in front of them. Hermione looked over and caught a glimmer of unease on Draco's face. He met her eye, and the glimmer disappeared as he stared at her, virtually expressionless, before fixing his characteristic aloof and cocky expression back on his face.
Shaking off the whole thing, Hermione followed Harry as he started towards the entrance. About ten paces from the door, the landscape completely changed; it was as if they'd passed through a magic curtain that only wizards could see behind. Now in front of them was a homey building, not unlike a castle, but with a comfortable feel. Less imposing and grand, more easy elegance and the group was looking directly at what looked to be a dormitory.
Harry looked around him as he breathed in the unfamiliar salty air. It was not what he was expecting, he knew the school was in California, but he wasn't expecting an island off the coast of... where was Alcatraz anyways? Northern California McGonagall had said or was it Southern? He looked over at his best friend and saw a genuine ear to ear grin. He hadn't seen one of those since Bill and Fleur's wedding. He smiled back at her and she pounced on him.
"Oh Harry!" she whispered, "This is going to be a great year!"
"Ahem!" an unfamiliar voice startled everyone to attention.
Ginny who had been investigating the cliffside, was startled and stumbled nearly going over the edge, when Neville grabbed her hand. "Be careful Gin," calmly, bringing her back until her feet were solid beneath her. Ginny, with her heart in her throat, quietly thanked him and went to join the group, who were all looking at Neville with looks ranging from downright surprise to utter confusion. Neville looked back sheepishly, making eye contact with Harry silently begging him to turn their attention elsewhere.
Harry turned to where the noise came from and saw a group of a dozen students and a tall slender woman, blonde hair streaked with silver, pulled into a loose bun at the back of her neck. He assumed this was their headmistress, "Over there!" he said to the group, drawing their gaze to the oncoming crowd. He looked back at Neville, who gave him a nod of thanks.
"If I can have your attention please." She cocked her head and caught their gazes with a practiced glare and a sudden resemblance to Professor McGonagall came into Harry's head causing him to smile again; some things shouldn't change.
"I am Ms. Carter, the Dean of the Western Academy of Magic, or WAM as some of the students here insist on calling it," she began in a soft, but stern voice. "Follow me and I will show you to the main common room, and tell you a little about our school."
A WAM boy with spiky blond hair opened the door for the Dean of the school.
"Aww, Jake, ever the gentleman," a girl with light brown hair said with a grin. The students of the school started to laugh.
The boy, Jake, grinned back and said, "There is a first time for everything Sarah." The students laughed again as their teacher walked through the door.
"Thank you Jake, now if the Hogwarts students will follow me." Ms. Carter said smiling at her students and proceeding through the door.
The seven students followed in the wake of the other teenagers.
"I'm sure you have already read about our history, but seeing, is more than reading," pointing to a portrait of a man on the wall, Ms. Carter continued. "In 1775, a Spanish wizard named, Juan Manuel de Ayala founded Alcatraz Island. Seventy-five years later muggles took the island for military use. The building you walk through now was built in 1850 and began holding prisoners the same year. Alcatraz even held the "rebellious" American Indians known as Hopis from the Arizona territory. No one ever knew that the these magical and "rebellious" Indians are what brought the end to Alcatraz. In short, the muggles believe the operating expenses were just too much, and resulted in the closing of the prison. Western Academy of Magic was brought to life in 1964."
Hermione looked to Ms. Carter with many questions on the tip of her tongue.
Ms. Carter stopped her holding up a hand, before she began, "We have our library... Miss Granger, is it? Yes, Minerva gave me a heads up about you. You will also find Mr. Price, our American Magical History teacher a valuable resource, along with your fellow seventh year student, Ben. He hasn't arrived yet, but I'm sure you will find he takes his studies a bit more of a priority than say... Jake." She looked at her students and gave a kind, teasing smile. They all laughed.
"Now, there are only 3 years that go to our school, 5th through 7th year. Because of obvious spacing issues, this isn't like what you may be used to. This is your dormitory, it houses all the students and the cafeteria for your meals. All floors are according to grades. The ground floor is the cafeteria and an all age common area. Each floor above has their own common area that is password protected. Seventh years are housed on the top of the dorm.
Looking around in awe, they noticed just how different this place was than Hogwarts. The room was U-shaped, and an open concept with windows surrounding all the walls from floor to the ceiling. Light poured in everywhere. The pillars separated the atrium from the the common area. There were so many couches and sofas, even huge pillows in the corners. Tables, and random bookshelves littered the room between the seating. The floor was cushioned with a dark, chocolate brown carpet. When you stood in the Atrium and looked up you could see all 3 floors above. Green plants hung from the railings, it seemed like the light danced around the whole building.
Ms. Carter looked at the Hogwarts students with knowing eyes, "Now let's go up to your floor so you can get settled, and changed before lunch." Ms. Carter walked to the stairs, and they followed taking in everything around them.
"Okay," she said as she got to the top of the stairs and walked into a common area. She waved her hand, indicating for all students to find a seat. The Hogwarts students all looked around and stayed standing while the WAM students fell into sofas and arm chairs.
"Now this is your dorm area. Boys are down the hall on the left, girls are down the right hall. There are two students per room and you have already been assigned a roommate. Each Hogwarts student is paired with a WAM student who has been instructed to be a sort of, mentor, for the first few weeks to get you all acclimated to the schedule and your surroundings. There is no leaving the school during the week, but you are allowed to go off into the city on the weekends provided you stay with your roommate at all times. You don't know the area, therefore you must not leave without your roommate. San Francisco is a wonderful city, but it is a muggle city so we must blend in, obviously. We don't have robes here, as you can tell, and our uniforms closely resemble the muggle private school uniforms that are common in this part of California, so they should gain little attention. Some of the island is off limits and there is no way to leave the island except for Terrence and the Western Fairy."
At this bit of good news, Draco grinned at Theo and arched a well manicured brow. Hermione caught the gesture and couldn't believe they were already trying to bend the rules.
"Curfew is enforced and you must be in this building by midnight every school night, and by three AM on weekends, unless you have permission for an overnight stay off island. Now because of the way this year is set up, you will all be staying stateside during holiday vacations, but you don't have to stay at the school. You have the option of staying with one of the WAM students for the holidays if you wish, and I encourage you all to do so."
"My parents have already offered to take all the British students for the Winter holidays and Spring Break, Ms. Carter," a blonde haired girl called out, "You know how they are with the holidays. 'Oh exchange students, how fun, they must come and be apart of our celebration, we'll have cake and punch and...' whatever else my mom said. I stopped listening after she rambled on about 20 ft trees or whatever, but yeah, they are all welcome to stay with us."
Ms. Carter laughed and smiled warmly, "Thank your mother for me Kate, I'm sure that will give us all something to look forward to."
To the Hogwart's students she said, "Kate's parents are well known in their community and have huge celebrations each year that they invite the entire class to."
"Sounds like my mother," Draco said under his breath to Theo and Pansy.
"Yeah, but doesn't sound nearly as dreadful," Pansy muttered back to him, Theo held back a chuckle.
"I'm sorry Drake, but Pans is right, holidays at your house are as fun as bamboo shoots under your nails," Theo concurred.
With this Draco threw an elbow into Theo's side, and whispered, "Wanker!" to which Pansy and Theo both snickered. He had to smile, he knew they were right, holidays at his house were stiff, boring and full of anything but holiday spirit.
"Okay, so, I will let you get settled. Lunch will be in the cafeteria downstairs. Your roommates can show you around and help get you ready. See you all later." Their new headmistress, or dean as she was called here, left the dorm.
The Hogwarts students looked around nervously.
"Okay, so glad this isn't awkward, or anything," the boy named Jake said out loud with a chuckle. "How about we all get to know each other."
"Jake just wants to know which of you is easy," Kate offered with a grin and her fellow students laughed.
"Yeah, well Kate is just upset because we already know how easy she is," Jake said without hesitation.
"Oh, darling, as easy as I am, I'm still not easy enough to get into your bed. No matter how much you wish it weren't so."
Jake laughed again, "Whatever Kate, you know you love me. Have a seat guys, we won't bite, I swear, not a werewolf among us."
Hermione, Ginny, Neville and Harry gave a short laugh. Tears welled in Hermione's eyes, memories of Lupin still fresh in her mind, she blinked them back and sat down on a sofa. Ginny sat by her feet with Harry sitting on the arm. Neville unable to decide where to go just sat on the floor next to Ginny. Draco sat down in a comfortable looking arm chair. Pansy went to sit in his lap, but when he saw what she was doing, he stood up and gave her his seat with a gentlemanly wave and went to stand against the nearby wall.
Theo stood next to him and chuckled. "Smooth Drake," he smirked. Pansy had heard him and scowled.
"Well let's introduce ourselves, I'm Jake, I'm 17 and…"
"And he's an alcoholic," Kate piped up with a smirk.
"No dear, I do not attend meetings. I'm just happy with a drink in my hands," he smirked back.
She grinned back and stuck her tongue out at him.
"Ah Kate, don't stick your tongue out unless you plan on using it," he wagged his finger at her with a raised eyebrow.
She laughed, "Maybe if you learn what to do with your own tongue, then we'll see about that."
Hermione couldn't help herself, she let out an appreciative laugh and brought a hand to her mouth, blushing. "So sad that he doesn't know already. How come you haven't taught him Kate?" she asked with a shy smile.
Kate grinned at Hermione, glad to have another participant in her banter with Jake.
"Really Granger? What would you know about that?" Pansy said with a tight smile.
"I'd bet quite a bit actually, she is Hermione after all" Ginny spat at her with her own smirk, "Just because it wasn't all over the castle like some slaggy snake, doesn't mean…"
"Doesn't mean what?! You filthy little…"
"Pansy!" Draco straightened up and grabbed her arm, "Knock it off, we just got here. Stop picking a fight with Granger! The past is the past, bloody well leave it there," he glowered. Making eye contact with each of his Hogwarts classmates; the unspoken agreement to never speak of the war was clear.
"It means you're a two bit who…" Ginny started, still red in the face with anger.
"Ginny, come on, let it go," Harry said, for once, agreeing with Draco.
"Whoa, what dimension did we land in?" Theo said out loud, trying to ease the tension. "Potter and Malfoy are the calm ones and Granger, Weaslette and Parkinson are the ones at each other's throats."
The WAM students just sat there and watched the exchange between the group in mild interest.
"Who do you think would win in a duel?" Jake theatre whispered to Sarah.
All the Hogwarts students looked at him. Harry, Ginny, and Neville chorused, "Hermione". Draco and Theo answered, "Granger". Hermione smirked at Pansy who turned red with anger and stomped off down the stairs.
"Well, this year will be fun," Jake said with a grin. He got up from his seat and walked down the hall. "Come on guys, I'll show you where your stuff is."
"Okay, I will take the girls to see their rooms, and we'll meet you all back here," Sarah said to her friends as they all started to move towards their rooms.
Harry, Neville, and Theo followed Jake and the other boys to their dorms giving Hermione's hand a reassuring squeeze before leaving her.
Walking up to the Hogwarts girls their guide introduced herself, "I'm Sarah, I'll be rooming with Hermione." Hermione took a breath and smiled at her, "Come on, I will take you to your rooms," she started down the corridor, Hermione followed after her with Ginny in her wake.
Draco sighed and went down the stairs to find Pansy. He was used to her dramatics - if someone didn't go after her, she would rage for a week and that was the last thing he and Theo needed. He had noticed that no one looked at them differently here as they did with the Slytherins back home and he'd like to keep it that way. He found her sitting on the bottom of the stairs leading to their level. He sat down next to her and she put her head on his shoulder.
"Everything's changed Drake," Pansy said defeatedly, "Our whole world is gone."
"Yeah it is," Draco told her, "we need to learn a new way of thinking if we want to survive when we get home."
He put an arm around her waist, she was one of his best friends and his girlfriend during fourth year. They broke up because he didn't feel the same way about her as she did about him, though she was always up for a shag if he wanted. That was not very often since before 6th year. He just had too much going on in his life and Pansy was not a great distraction anymore.
"Why did you come?" Draco asked, genuinely curious.
To him, Pansy had seemed like the type to just take the pass handed out to those who fought during the war. Clearly his facial expression said as much because Pansy pushed him away with a huff. "I didn't feel like I deserved the pass the ministry gave me," she said with heat. "All I did was sit around and watch as my friends signed their life away to that swiving animal and try to keep my head down," she finished, looking ashamed.
"Pans…" Draco started, but paused, considering his words carefully. "Do you really think you could have stopped us?" he asked gently. "Do you really think you could have stopped me?"
When she looked up with tears in her eyes, he could see that's exactly what she thought.
"Pansy," Draco said, demanding her undivided attention. "You could not have stopped me from taking the Dark Mark. That arse was living in my house. He had my mother. I couldn't leave her there, I had to protect her. Even if that meant signing my life over to The D-" he stopped. "Voldemort," he finished.
Pansy looked at him, clearly skeptical of his reasoning. Draco sighed, "Alright, look," he hedged, "It's not like I didn't want the power that went along with being part of his inner circle," he said as he looked down at his hands, clenched in his trousers. He unclenched his fists and started rubbing the circulation back through them. Gods, he hated talking about this.
"I also just wanted my father to be proud of me," he said, shortly. "But that was never going to happen, and I should have known better. The point is Pans, I made my choice - and believe it, or not - you couldn't have done a bloody thing to stop me. Now come on, let's go get settled. Just try and remember, this isn't like home, let's see how everything falls before we strike."
"It's the Slytherin way," Pansy forced a smile, "Self preservation, and all that."
"Damn right."
"I wasn't going to call her a blood traitor Drake," Pansy said standing up and holding her hand out to him, "I was going to call her a filthy little bitch, but I'm not stupid. I know those times are in the past, but she's still a bitch."
Draco laughed grabbing her hand, "I can't fault you there if that is what you think," and they walked back upstairs together.
A/N: We plan on releasing a new chapter every week. We hope you are enjoying the story! Buckle up, the ride is only beginning! J/K/S
